LOUISVILLE -- The elected leaders of Louisville and Superior agreed Wednesday night that a "diverging diamond" interchange on McCaslin Boulevard over U.S. 36 is an elegant design that would make a strong welcoming statement about both communities.

But finding the money for the $12.5 million project may prove difficult.

"I don't see how we can bring $6 million in the 2013 to 2014 time frame," Louisville City Manager Malcolm Fleming said, referring to the equal split the municipalities agreed to in paying for the project.

Fleming said he could only identify $3.5 million in his city's budget for the interchange, which would include a novel criss-cross traffic pattern on McCaslin Boulevard across U.S. 36. He said he wanted to know Superior's willingness to front the bulk of the money and agree to be paid back by Louisville over time.

The suggestion prompted an animated response from Andrew Muckle, Superior's mayor, who said every extra dollar put toward work on the interchange would mean less money for capital projects in the town.

"We can front a lot of money, but we can't front $10 million," Muckle said. "How can I tell my residents that their street is crumbling but we have to pay for this?"

At Louisville City Hall, Bob Muckle -- Louisville's mayor and Andrew Muckle's brother -- voiced frustration that no financial commitments have so far been extracted from the Colorado Department of Transportation or the Regional Transportation District for the project.

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He noted that other bridge projects up and down the U.S. 36 corridor have gotten critical outside funding. RTD would also be netting major service improvements as a result of the interchange project, with a series of dedicated on- and off-ramps included in the design plan.

"I don't think we should have to bring all the money to the table," Bob Muckle said.

To which the mayor across the highway nearly jumped out of his chair.

"I hear you, brother," he said, waving his arms.

Transportation planners have determined that a diverging diamond interchange, which momentarily places drivers on the wrong side of the road so that all turns across an interchange are unobstructed, would provide the most vehicle capacity for the longest period of time at the pinch point between Superior and Louisville. But it was by far the most expensive of three design alternatives presented to town officials earlier this year.

Now, traffic attempting to go west on U.S. 36 backs up severely in the left-turn lane on northbound McCaslin Boulevard. The bridge carries up to 41,000 vehicles a day.

There are only a handful of diverging diamond interchanges in the country, mostly in Utah and Missouri.

Louisville and Superior are attempting to get to a 20 percent design stage with the project before submitting it to CDOT for the agency's approval next month. The municipalities have expressed a desire to get the interchange rebuild included in Phase II of the U.S. 36 managed-lanes project that CDOT plans to begin later this summer.

Wednesday's discussion, a rare joint meeting of the Superior Board of Trustees and the Louisville City Council, also focused on the proposed aesthetics and design details of the interchange project.

Superior Trustee Sandy Pennington said the current design isn't "homey" enough in its appearance and that as the gateway to both communities, first impressions are critical.

"This, to me, feels industrial," she said. "It doesn't feel like a come-stop-and-visit-my-town to me."

Louisville councilman Jay Keany cautioned that both municipalities need to be careful about incorporating design elements and flourishes that could be interpreted as too extravagant and expensive, especially with the economy still in a rut.

"In the current economy, I don't think the public is in favor of that," he said.

A public meeting on the latest design plans is scheduled for June 27 in Superior.

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